VW Golf - Hit and Run

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Fri 15 Jan 2016 12:35
VW Golf - Hit and Run - katie1980

Hi all,

my car was parked on a main road, someone hit it and then drove off, it caused £2000 damage, a passer by managed to get a reg plate, i had to go thru my insurance to get it fixed while investigations took place. Just been contacted by the police who are now saying even tho the vehicle has no insurance and the registered driver has no license the only thing they can prosecute him on is failing to responded to a legal document the police sent asking him to provide details. So because no one can prove he was actually driving he will get away with it, surely this isnt right as i always thought the registered keeper should be ultimately responsible as if not what is the point in having a registration document in the first place. Any advice would be gladly welcomed, thanks.

Edited by katie1980 on 15/01/2016 at 12:36

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Fri 15 Jan 2016 12:47
VW Golf - Hit and Run - oldroverboy.

The registered keeper will have to go to court and will be fined and get penalty points on his licence for failing to disclose the name of the driver.

The fine and penalty ponts will cost him, especially if he gets caught again in the future.

He IS responsible for that, and your insurer/yourself can claim for the accident to be covered for the uninsured losses motor bureau, (google is your friend here)

Shrug your shoulders and carry on, The legal process will deal with it.

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Fri 15 Jan 2016 13:05
VW Golf - Hit and Run - katie1980

thanks, its just infuriating that our justice system doesnt seem to be on the side of the legal party.

the fact that he is driving without a license tells me that getting points wont really bother hm at all.

the MIB are involved but it will still go down on my insurance therefore i will be the one that suffers when its up for renewal.

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Fri 15 Jan 2016 14:11
VW Golf - Hit and Run - Dwight Van Driver

Yup lifes a bummer.

Be aware that Plod will be as upset as you.

The law allows Plod to send form to Reg Keeper to name driver at time of incident. If a driver signs then BINGO that can be taken as an admission of being the driver and as such opens up the possibility of throwing the book at him for due care, no Insurance, no driving Licence.

Until such time as there is actual evidence of a person driving then Plod's hands are tied.

If Reg Keeper does not name driver and is prosecuted then the Prosecuting Solicitor will outline the circumstances of the case to justify sending form to name from which the Bench will be able to draw a conclusion and punish accordingly.

If Reg Keeper wasn't the driver he will know who it was and seek his own revenge. Two punished for the price of one?.

dvd

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Fri 15 Jan 2016 19:59
VW Golf - Hit and Run - Engineer Andy

You have to wonder what the DVLA/Police are doing with all those details/info from ANPR cameras about untaxed/insured drivers/cars...they (after intense lobbying by Leftists) took down the ANPR 'ring' of cameras in my home town (apparently 10 burgularies [amongst other crimes] per month in a town of 12,000 people wasn't enough to track cars to see who they might be [supposedly outsiders driving to the town in the middle of the night]) and resulted (as this was made very public) in more than doubling the burglary rate in a few months. Nice!

I'd love to know how oafs such as the person who had the accident with the OP's car can still own it, given the car must be registered by not taxed or insured. Surely Mr. Plod can go round and confiscate the car and arrest the owner?!

I personally would sue them in the small claims court for the repair money (hopefully a guilty verdict [witnesses available] on the crime might help convince the 'magistrate'). Never done that so don't know if its even possible.

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Fri 15 Jan 2016 21:14
VW Golf - Hit and Run - galileo

You have to wonder what the DVLA/Police are doing with all those details/info from ANPR cameras about untaxed/insured drivers/cars...they (after intense lobbying by Leftists) took down the ANPR 'ring' of cameras in my home town (apparently 10 burgularies [amongst other crimes] per month in a town of 12,000 people wasn't enough to track cars to see who they might be [supposedly outsiders driving to the town in the middle of the night]) and resulted (as this was made very public) in more than doubling the burglary rate in a few months. Nice!

I'd love to know how oafs such as the person who had the accident with the OP's car can still own it, given the car must be registered by not taxed or insured. Surely Mr. Plod can go round and confiscate the car and arrest the owner?!

I personally would sue them in the small claims court for the repair money (hopefully a guilty verdict [witnesses available] on the crime might help convince the 'magistrate'). Never done that so don't know if its even possible.

These scrotes laugh at the legal system, the only thing which makes them regret their crimes is a visit from someone they have aggrieved who is large, muscular and carries a baseball bat.

Edited by galileo on 15/01/2016 at 21:16

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Fri 15 Jan 2016 22:48
VW Golf - Hit and Run - katie1980

thanks for ur comments, i had thought of using the technique of someone large and muscular lol but knowing my luck id prob b done for it ( oh the irony haha).

the police have said because no one actually saw the driver and there is no cctv anywhere there is no proof who was driving therefore they can only prosecute for failing to provide details and cant actually make him provide the details even tho they can prosecute him for not doing so (makes sense right) so the actual crime of hitting my car will go unpunished (what a joke) scares me to think what if id been in it as it was the drivers side that was completely stoved in.

our justice system is a joke (crime obviously does pay instead of been a law abiding citizen, which gets u nowhere these days).

i am thinking of taking things further just dont know where to start.

Edited by katie1980 on 15/01/2016 at 22:50

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Sat 16 Jan 2016 09:52
VW Golf - Hit and Run - Auristocrat

The police are correct. Although there is a witness to say this car hit yours, there is no proof to confirm who was driving. Besides water boarding, what would you expect the police to do to make the owner divulge who was driving?

If you tried to take it further, you would end up in the same position.

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Sat 16 Jan 2016 10:15
VW Golf - Hit and Run - Bromptonaut

Besides water boarding, what would you expect the police to do to make the owner divulge who was driving?

If you tried to take it further, you would end up in the same position.

I had same thought last night though my mind didn't go as far as waterboarding!!

You could I guess drag the reg. keeper in front of a court, put him on oath and demand he name the driver.

The same remedy though would be available for those who cannot remember if they or their spouse was driving when a red light camera was triggered.

Is that the society we want to live in?

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Sat 16 Jan 2016 10:04
VW Golf - Hit and Run - Bromptonaut

I personally would sue them in the small claims court for the repair money (hopefully a guilty verdict [witnesses available] on the crime might help convince the 'magistrate'). Never done that so don't know if its even possible.

You'd probably win by default as the perp will ignore the summons. It would however be a hollow victory as very unlikley defendant has assets to satisfy judgement.

Anybody considering small claims court needs to first satisfy theselves that defendant has money or is a homeowner. The latter won't help if they're already mortgaged out.

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Sat 16 Jan 2016 12:48
VW Golf - Hit and Run - FP

"Anybody considering small claims court needs to first satisfy theselves that defendant has money or is a homeowner. The latter won't help if they're already mortgaged out."

My understanding is that, even if a defendant has funds, there's no guarantee that they will pay out on losing a small claims case. If they refuse that will mean the plaintiff has to consider enforcement, which is a whole different scenario, and potentially expensive.

'... trading standards officers warn that enforcing a judgment could "be very difficult, time-consuming and costly": you enter a world of forms and fees, where you may find yourself engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with your opponent.' (www.theguardian.com/money/2010/nov/20/small-claims...t)

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Sat 16 Jan 2016 13:11
VW Golf - Hit and Run - movilogo

Blimey! Reading the Guardian link proves that it really pays to be a crook nowadays!

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Sat 16 Jan 2016 13:14
VW Golf - Hit and Run - gordonbennet

Fortunately i've never had to resort to small claims courts, finally after many years i've at last realised the overwhelming majority of people are money grubbing, dishonourable and unpleasant and my trusting of them to behave as a gentlemen would has backfired on me for the very last time.

However, doesn't winning a claim which they fail to honour (how surprising) mean they now have a CCJ against them, which may not recoup you the aggrieved any financial justice, but should in theory give them justified headaches at some point in the future hopefully leading them into the arms of shady or day lenders whilst banks and reputable finance houses shun them? or have i got this, as with many things, all wrong and as our OP says crime and behaving as a snake really does pay.

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Sat 16 Jan 2016 13:20
VW Golf - Hit and Run - movilogo

CCJ won't have any effect if registred keeper used a false name and/or address.

No license, no insurance so false name is very likely.

No one checks if you put true details in V5 (especially if a private sale).

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Sat 16 Jan 2016 13:37
VW Golf - Hit and Run - FP

I have used the small-claims process only once, against a tenant who failed to keep up to date with his rent. (He smoked cannabis also, but that is another issue.)

When I finally got rid of him he owed around £900. I found his new address (he had of course failed to let me know where he was moving to, but I sifted through the enormous pile of rubbish in his room), did the small-claims thing, got a judgment in default and heard nothing more.

I looked at it this way: I was rid of a troublesome tenant who might have made things very difficult had he refused to move out. I could now get an income from a new tenant.

I hope his CCJ made life extremely difficult for him, but some of these low-lifes live under the radar, don't use banks or credit cards and deal in cash only.

Edited by FP on 16/01/2016 at 13:39

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Tue 19 Jan 2016 12:03
VW Golf - Hit and Run - meldrew

As sombody whose daughter of similar name suffered a similar fate I think the offending vehicle should simply be put in a crusher and call it quits. I can't believe that somebody cannot be held responsible for this.

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